10 ways to spring clean safely

Now that the weather is warming up, you might be tempted to break out the broom, reposition your furniture and freshen up your garden. But all that potentially back-breaking work can lead to injury.

There are more than 10 million unintentional home injuries in the U.S. every year that result in visits to hospital emergency rooms, according to the Home Safety Council.

Follow these tips to avoid injury:

1. Warm up before you begin any chores. Run in place for a few minutes or take a brisk walk.

2. If you have to lift an object, do it slowly; don’t be in a hurry.

3. Bend at the knees—not your waist—and keep your back straight when lifting heavy objects. Lift with your legs, not your back. Keep the object close to your body. Move your feet to turn your body instead of twisting at the waist.

4. Use sliders (small padded disks that are placed underneath furniture) to reposition heavy pieces like armchairs and sofas.

5. Secure area rugs with non-skid pads.

6. Carry loads so you can see over them and use the handrail.

7. Keep stairs, steps and landings free of clutter like toys.

8. If you need to climb to reach something, use a ladder, not a chair, table or box. Stand at or below the highest safe standing level on a ladder. For a stepladder, the safe standing level is the second rung from the top, and for an extension ladder, it’s the fourth rung from the top.

9. Don’t use your upper body to move a vacuum cleaner. Instead, step forward and back as you push the machine.

10. Use long handles whenever possible for items like window squeegees and mops.

If you want to learn more about how physical therapy and acupuncture can help ease any pain from spring cleaning, contact us here.